Why Antoine Semenyo chose to play for Ghana even though he was born in England
Antoine Semenyo has shared why he chose to play for Ghana, even though he could have played for England too.
After a great season with Bournemouth and Manchester City, Semenyo was seen as one of the best players in the 2025/26 Premier League. He scored 21 goals and made six assists in 48 games for both teams, proving worth every penny of the £64 million City paid to sign him from Bournemouth.
At the 2026 World Cup, the 26-year-old is the shining star of Ghana’s team, as shown in their 1-0 win over Panama in their first match.
Semenyo was born in London, so he could have played for England. He also has French citizenship through his mother, and Ghanaian citizenship through his dad, Larry, who was a footballer in Ghana.
But choosing Ghana was never a hard choice for him. On the ‘In The Mixer’ podcast, he said, “Ghana called when I was 20 or 21. I couldn’t say no to playing for their first team, so it was an easy decision.”
He added, “It wasn’t difficult at all. I wasn’t really close to playing for England. My dad was so happy; he celebrated and said, ‘You didn’t play for England!’ The whole family is proud and supports Ghana. They watch the games, shout, and get really excited — it’s wild.”
After beating Panama, Ghana will play England on Tuesday night at the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
A win for either team will secure a spot in the knockout stages, and the group winner will be decided after the Panama vs. Croatia game.
Looking ahead, Semenyo said, “It’s going to be tough, but I’m excited for it.”
He also mentioned, “It’s a tricky group. We can’t underestimate Panama. Croatia and England are top teams. Our main goal is to get out of the group, but it won’t be easy.”
Ghana’s last group game will be against Croatia on Saturday, June 27, at the Philadelphia Stadium.